tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77764139916902884412015-02-04T14:04:22.983-06:00White Spray PaintLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.comBlogger808125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-29713456169739082732014-11-06T06:47:00.001-06:002014-11-06T06:47:59.061-06:00When Are You coming to my House? My grandson’s game face. So this is how it happens. Yesterday afternoon , around 5:30 pm in the bread aisle of HEB, my phone rings. And no it wasn’t 5:30 or 6:00 am when I usually grocery shop, as discussed here. It was that grocery shopping time of Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-57708644278888932632014-11-02T20:43:00.001-06:002014-11-03T05:44:24.325-06:00Fall Mantels 2010 These mantels are a perfect example of how I create things in my home. How do I do it? I am not quite sure…I do what you probably do. I haul crates and tubs in the house from the garage , and I start slinging. For the 2010 mantel above, my mother’s RC Gorman print was already on the mantel, and its Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-29284351872826940582014-11-01T04:30:00.000-05:002014-11-01T04:30:01.592-05:00Blogging Questions I have two blogging questions, for now… Here we go, In no particular order. Warning: Whining ahead. Photography: ( I have a Canon T3i). Although I enjoy photography very, very much, I NEVER know if my photos are going to turn out well. They are often out of focus or the color is wrong. We have some natural light in our Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-60998166306549390022014-10-31T09:43:00.001-05:002014-10-31T09:51:32.030-05:00Day 31: Enjoying Simple Things, At Last My Kitchen Sitting Area In no particular order, here are my thoughts about re-entering the world of blogging consistently by posting for 31 consecutive days. Granted, I got off schedule a bit in the final stretch, but by looking at the clock and the date creatively, I made it , and I am posting Day 31 on Day 31- and I have 31 posts to show for it. * Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-9430169863176333382014-10-31T05:00:00.000-05:002014-10-31T05:00:23.101-05:00Day 30: Simple Birthday Dinner Last week I hosted our October birthday group celebration honoring three dear teacher friends, and we kept things very simple. Everyone, except the honorees, brought something. Menu Spinach Artichoke Dip and Crackers Spinach Salad with Raspberries, Sugared Pecans, Raspberry Vinaigrette Hot French BreadLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-26517331708172685282014-10-30T20:25:00.001-05:002014-10-30T20:25:50.576-05:00Day 29: Simple Fall Porch One of the simplest things I enjoy is re-using things from around my house in different ways or in seasonal displays. I just open the boxes marked fall, take a look at what’s inside , and start slinging. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. So having a recycled wreathe (above) and adding black and white check ribbon meant for Christmas 4 Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-17976609534226191532014-10-29T19:51:00.001-05:002014-10-29T19:51:41.320-05:00Day 28: Friendship and Makeup My friend Lupita and I in my kitchen at one of my annual Teacher Christmas Parties. I have loved makeup since my high school days at Saint Mary’s Hall. I may have worn a uniform and saddle oxfords every school day for 4 years, but I usually had on Maybelline demi false eyelashes too. I learned to master cake eyeliner and to this day, there is Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-53910813957511503312014-10-28T23:43:00.001-05:002014-10-28T23:43:49.888-05:00Day 27: Simply the Best : Songs Growing up on a ranch in South Texas, with no neighbors in sight and a little brother six years younger, I learned to entertain myself. What did that look like? Some of my favorite things to do included leading an imaginary band as drum majorette- complete with self taught twirling tricks- or roller skating on our concrete front porch.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-29292752586269286732014-10-28T08:21:00.001-05:002014-10-28T08:21:17.086-05:00Day 26: Simply the Best: Fall Fragrance Oh how I love a sweet smelling house, especially this time of year. These are my favorites. Orleans Cinnamon Orange Candle I first discovered Orleans Cinnamon Orange candles at a Christmas Shop in Plano, while visiting our youngest daughter who lives in Dallas. I almost swooned. That’s a great word, isn’t it? After all, my nickname, originally given to Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-45953483201124539482014-10-27T14:47:00.001-05:002014-10-27T14:47:48.147-05:00Day 25: Procrastination I don’t know when I first heard the term procrastination and realized- ‘oh, that’s what that is’. I am assuming the act of procrastination still carries a negative connotation? In my case, and in the midst of the final stretch of my 31 day writing challenge, I lost my umph. So instead of getting re-directed and planning the rest of my posts, I Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-37986907484518234992014-10-24T20:15:00.001-05:002014-10-24T20:15:40.412-05:00Day 24: Simple Fit Throwing Sometimes, I may occasionally if the situation warrants , throw a little fit. How is that for vague language? Let’s try that again. I can throw a fit with the best of them with one key difference. My fits at this point in life are usually far more DRAMATIC or MENTAL than PHYSICAL, and it Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-29485635749309728132014-10-23T20:00:00.000-05:002014-10-24T06:57:16.512-05:00Day 23: Dear Daughters, Contradicting Day 22 My Girls and I at my Retirement Party May 2008. Dear Daughters, Don’t stop reading. Yes, I am going to contradict what I wrote for Day 22 (yesterday’s post). Here is why. I love you, and I know what it is like to work full time and want to have everything perfectly organized for all of us, and sometimes it just didn’t happen.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-9343659234053785792014-10-23T15:51:00.001-05:002014-10-23T15:58:56.461-05:00Day 22: Dear Daughters, Simple Priorities My Laundry Room Dear Daughters, At the checkout counter at HEB at 6:45 am this morning, I did a little free reading. And yes, there was someone in front of me at that time. This short statement in a magazine I grabbed caught my attention. Prioritize the everyday things in your life.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-52402087480111502112014-10-21T20:06:00.001-05:002014-10-21T20:08:12.209-05:00Day 21: Limes, One of Life’s Simple Pleasures One of the many pleasures found in South Texas where I live is fresh citrus, specifically limes. This is not about baking folks. This is about drinking. Here are three of my favorites -in descending order of preference- *A tall glass of iced tea on a very hot day of gardening, filled with crushed ice, iced tea , and squeezed Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-42038095043558840562014-10-20T16:19:00.001-05:002014-10-20T16:19:31.088-05:00Day 20: “Teach Us To Delight In Simple Things” When I was teaching, there was always a time in the lesson, or the week, or the chapter when I knew we needed to make a connection. I am sure there is some sort of 2014 educational term for such a method. When I started teaching high school English in 1975 at Van Vleck High School in Van Vleck , Texas, that method was based solely on instincts. I Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-33320101534583373042014-10-19T15:40:00.001-05:002014-10-19T15:40:42.297-05:00Day 19: If We Were Having Coffee If we were having coffee one morning this week, I would ask you a multitude of questions about things that are on my mind. These are not earth shattering questions, but they are on topics that confuse me. Does anyone understand their cell phone bill without calling their adult children, who then become irritated? Does your brain shut Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-4272587400204269502014-10-18T09:06:00.001-05:002014-10-18T16:58:13.717-05:00Day 18: Circling Back I woke up this morning thinking about words I had previously written (in March of 2009). I searched for them in my post archives and found that post. True breaking blogging rules confession: I don’t write with anything more in mind than the need to write it. There really is no artifice here. This is my quirky, simple and usually enjoyed life for all to Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-13198110786650461012014-10-16T21:34:00.001-05:002014-10-16T21:34:38.285-05:00Day 17: Simple DIY Projects I have imagined often that if my mother were still here, and we were talking about DIY projects, she would laugh and say, ”Well, who else is going to do it?” I have written many posts poking fun sharing some of my own DIY projects. If you’d like a simple, real world, practical approach, read these. * Anti Paint Tutorial * Smokey Eye Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-42468685046615371642014-10-16T06:39:00.001-05:002014-10-16T06:39:22.617-05:00Day 16: Dear Daughters, Simple sleep Dear Daughters, You come from a long line of nap takers. Papa has taken a nap every single day since forever. And now guess what? Research shows that getting enough sleep is essential to good health. You may also remember that many years ago, after a long day of teaching, I often collapsed for a short little nap before it was Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-39724625449573661072014-10-15T04:27:00.000-05:002014-10-15T06:07:46.970-05:00Day 15: Simple Birthday Celebration My family is nothing if not socially efficient. We usually take our own cars to events, in case we need to leave. We sit at tables with our backs to the wall, in the event we need to fight our way out. (just kidding…maybe…) And all of my life, my father was the perfect guest. He did not dally. He left when he needed to.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-64527322251928687022014-10-13T21:27:00.001-05:002014-10-13T21:27:40.368-05:00Day 14: Fall Tablescapes So many things in my house change every year. Fall tables in October for birthday group celebrations, and the ever important Thanksgiving table rarely stay the same each year. I try to use things I haven’t used in a while, and I also shop the house for more ideas. Periodically, I will find an inspiration piece at the flea market. I Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-70731783040233417332014-10-13T06:36:00.001-05:002014-10-13T06:36:28.221-05:00Day 13: Simple Signs of Fall In the interest of full fall disclosure, it is still in the 80’s and occasional 90’s here in South Texas. What the weather really is and what it is supposed to be has never been a seasonal deterrent for me. Fall is fall, and certainly by October, it SHOULD be fall. Does that make sense? So I am going on about my Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-27404178500149267472014-10-11T22:10:00.001-05:002014-10-11T22:12:59.065-05:00Day 12: Simple Skincare, Part II So this is what I did. I started watching You Tube videos on aging skin care. And can we pause just a minute to give You Tube a shout out? I took notes and watched and picked a regimen that I could afford to try, plus one expensive serum- Skinceuticals CE with Ferulic Acid. I use that twice a day. Morning Routine: Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-70578493873991003502014-10-10T22:21:00.001-05:002014-10-10T22:21:39.252-05:00Day 11: Skincare, A Simple Necessity It was a long hot summer. It was all about acceptance and life on life’s terms and fun and loss, and temperatures of at least 105, and trips to the flea market in the morning sun, and watering my plants.. In fact, after a late August trip to see our youngest daughter and to do some grandkid watching, I looked it. I looked “ridden hard and put up wet”.Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776413991690288441.post-10701980219784272982014-10-09T17:40:00.000-05:002014-10-09T17:40:38.274-05:00Day 10: The Beginning of Ranch Recipes This photo was taken of my parents in 1950 in Tecalitlan, Mexico. My mother was 19 and my father was 25. When they were first married, they moved there because my father had taken a job as a cattle inspector for the USDA. Every week on horseback, along with Malachias his assistant, he rode up into the mountains of Mexico to inspect ranch owners’ cattle and to vaccinate them. My Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11497969475360535424noreply@blogger.com4